Starknet remains an Ethereum Layer 2. The project is weighing an independent Layer 1, with no governance proposal, vote, migration date or approved architecture announced.
On October 8, 2026, Starknet said it was actively considering a move to an independent Layer 1. The idea remains under evaluation, and any protocol change would need governance approval.
The move would hand Starknet more control over settlement and its security timetable. It would also mean giving up the Ethereum foundation its Layer 2 model relies on today.
Starknet currently executes transactions offchain, then submits STARK proofs to Ethereum, where the validity of state updates is checked. Ethereum also anchors key data. Its network supports the canonical bridge. An independent L1 would have to provide its own settlement and data-availability guarantees instead of inheriting them from Ethereum. Starknet's technical documentation describes the current protocol.
Starknet has said it is actively considering an independent L1, but no formal proposal, governance vote or transition date has been announced.
Security root
A validity rollup uses cryptographic proofs so its base chain can verify that proposed state changes follow the rules. Starknet's proof system is STARK-based, but that does not make every part of the network independent of Ethereum's cryptography.
The bridge still depends on Ethereum components. So do the messaging path and blob-based data availability.
The architectural question is about control, not simply proof technology. On October 10, StarkWare described an independent L1 as the "most obvious path forward" for Starknet. Co-founder Eli Ben-Sasson has linked independence to the ability to make security upgrades without waiting for Ethereum or Bitcoin to make corresponding changes. That is an argument for greater control, not confirmation that a split has been approved.
StarkWare's three-phase post-quantum roadmap covers vulnerable Pedersen-related hash components, legacy smart contracts and Ethereum-dependent components such as the bridge, cross-chain messaging and blob data availability. The first two phases are largely within Starknet's control, while the third depends on cryptographic changes to Ethereum as long as those dependencies remain.
An independent L1 would bring a trade-off, not an automatic security upgrade. Starknet could set its own pace for changes to external dependencies, but it would also have to establish the consensus assumptions Ethereum currently supplies to its rollup model. It would need to provide data availability itself. The security of its clients would also become its responsibility. No approved independent-L1 architecture or bridge migration plan has been published.
Quantum readiness
Post-quantum work overlaps with an L1 transition, but the two are separate projects. StarkWare presented its three-phase roadmap in June 2026. The first phase moves vulnerable hash-function components related to Pedersen toward BLAKE2.
The second phase concerns legacy smart contracts. The third covers Ethereum-dependent parts of the system, including the bridge, cross-chain messaging and blob data availability.
The roadmap identifies dependencies Starknet cannot remove on its own while Ethereum retains its current role. Starknet largely controls the first two phases. The third depends on cryptographic modernization of Ethereum. STARK proofs may protect the soundness of Starknet state transitions, but they do not remove those other connections.
Starknet has set a target of full post-quantum resilience by 2027. That is a target for quantum protection, not a launch date for an independent L1. Publications have also cited 2029 as an Ethereum comparison point, but that should not be read as an officially approved Ethereum schedule.
An independent L1 could change who controls the remaining messaging and data-availability surfaces. It would not, by itself, complete the first two post-quantum phases or prove every replacement component secure. The architecture question is who controls the migration path. The cryptographic work still has to be implemented and assessed on its own merits.
What changes for users
Staking decentralization is a separate track. Starknet's staged plan gives validators increasing roles in attestation and block validation. It also assigns them a growing part in network operation, with proving decentralization planned later. These changes can broaden who operates the network while Starknet continues to settle on Ethereum. Validator participation alone does not make it an independent L1.
For users and developers, a proposed transition would put settlement finality and data retrieval under scrutiny. They would also need to examine bridge security. Withdrawal rules matter, as does upgrade authority.
The Ethereum bridge could become one cross-chain route rather than the canonical exit path, with different trust and timing assumptions. Contracts using Ethereum messaging syscalls may also behave differently if those interfaces change.
Cross-chain infrastructure shows why bridge design deserves separate scrutiny: a multichain example illustrates that moving assets and messages between networks depends on the mechanics of the connection, not just the chains themselves.
Before treating a change as live, users and developers should look for governance approval. They should also check updated client documentation and bridge documentation. Public materials confirm no scheduled vote or launch date. They also show no approved architecture and no change to STRK tokenomics. Staking milestones or completed hash migrations would not establish that Ethereum settlement has been replaced. The decisive evidence would be a defined settlement model, with a specified approach to data availability. It would also spell out changes to bridges, finality and upgrade controls.
Starknet's L1 discussion is a choice about control with a real cost: less dependence on Ethereum would leave Starknet responsible for its own consensus. It would also have to provide data availability and take on more security responsibility. Until governance approves such a change and specifies the new mechanisms, Starknet remains an Ethereum validity rollup.
